Groups

Church & Community Groups

We have a range of church groups across our team parish, to suit all ages. There are also community groups that meet that enhance our parish.

Church Groups

Click on a group name to find out more information. You’d be most welcome to join us in our parish activities.

Gardening volunteers in the churchyard about to cut the grass with a lawnmower
Bell Ringers

St. Mary’s has a set of 10 bells which have recently been refurbished, tuned and rehung, they are now among the best rings in Yorkshire.  The ropes are fitted with Yorkshire Ends.  We have a good team of ringers but are always looking for more people to join us . We ring for the Sunday morning service at St. Mary’s that starts at 9:30 am and for Weddings by request.  We practise on Thursday evening.

Our team captain is Rachel Walker and she can be contacted on 07731 543427.

We welcome guest ringers by arrangement and our Guest Ringers secretary is Ian Ackroyd who can be contacted on 07914 740786

Hand Bell Ringers

When the bells were renovated we discovered a set of handbells in the ringing chamber.  These were in a poor state of repair and unusable.  However, we had been left a generous Legacy by Margaret Richardson for the tower and the bells and so some of this was used to have the bells restored.

We now have a group of Hand Bell Ringers who meet on Wednesday evenings at St. Mary’s who are learning this instrument with a view to performing at Services and Concerts in the near future.  We would be delighted if you too would like to come and learn with this group so if you are interested please get in touch.

 
Craft and Fellowship Group

The Mirfield Team Parish Craft and Fellowship group meet on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of every month at St John’s Church, Upper Hopton, 18:30-20:30.  All crafts and abilities are very welcome, or just come along for a chat with tea and biscuits.  Our aim is to enjoy a social time together while crafting items that we can sell to raise funds for the work of the parish. We look forward to seeing you there.

Choir

We have choirs at both St. Mary’s and St. John’s who sing at our Sunday morning services and at Weddings by arrangement.  We are always keen to welcome new singers and our Organist and Choir Master Scott Senogles would be delighted to hear from you on 07900 996854 to tell you more.  Choir Practice is on Wednesday evenings.

We also run a choir for Junior Singers which meets before the main Choir Practice on Wednesday evenings.

Mirfield Junior Singers

Children aged 6-12 are invited to join us every Wednesday during term time from 5.15pm to 6.15pm at St. Mary’s Church. For more information contact Scott on 07900 996854 or email scottsenogles@gmail.com

 

St. Mary's Graveyard Maintenance

St. Mary’s has about 9 acres of land surrounding it.  Here you will find the old graveyard and the area we are still using today.  There is also the site of an old Motte and Baily castle, the remains of the old St. Mary’s church, and an area set aside for wildlife with a spring and stream.  This area is enjoyed by many people on a daily basis and offers a place to encounter the wildlife that call it home and an place for peaceful contemplation and prayer.

 

We have a dedicated team of volunteers who keep tend this area and keep our graveyard as beautiful and accessible as possible for all our visitors.  If you would like to be a part of this maintenance team we would love to hear from you. Thursday evenings in the Summer months are the usual time dedicated to this task.

Flower Club

Both St. Mary’s and St. John’s have a good tradition of flower arranging and in addition to the floral displays on Sundays we excel at Wedding arrangements and have run a number of successful Flower festivals over the years.

 

If you are interested in flower arranging at our churches then please contact:

Ruth Edwards at St. Mary’s on 07840 492129

Linda Hutchinson at St. Johns 01924 496588

Young Church & Sunday School

Young Church at St. Mary’s and Sunday School at St. John’s meet during our usual Sunday Services.

Afternoon Tea at St. John's

St. John’s Church is open every Wednesday afternoon between 2pm and 4pm to welcome all comers to join in a time of chat with refreshments.  We meet in the meeting room and enjoy conversation with cake, biscuits, tea and coffee.  All are welcome.

Friends of St. John's

The Friends of St. John’s is a charity with the specific aim of supporting the care and maintenance of St. John’s church Upper Hopton It does this through fundraising and administering invested money.  The work they do is of vital importance to the upkeep and continued existence of the church and is much appreciated by the PCC and members of the church alike.  The Friends is open to anyone in the community who has an interest in the church remaining at the heart of the village whether that is from a Faith base, architectural interest, Community awareness or any other reason.  We would love to hear from you if you are interested in joining us or just want to find out more.

Men's Group

The Men’s Group meets on the first Wednesday of each month.  We meet at the Old Colonial and our meeting coincides with their pub quiz.  It is lovely to meet for a chat, a drink and to take part in the quiz, we have even been known to WIN (not often though). If you would like to find out more and join us you would be very welcome (especially if you have good general knowledge or a specialist subject, but this is not compulsory).

Open Church

It is a sad fact that our churches cannot be always open, and we wish that they could be.  We are open for worship Sundays and mid-week, but we also open St. Mary’s on a Sunday afternoon between 2pm and 4pm.  This time is for anyone to just call in to look around or have a quiet time for reflection and prayer.   There is a dedicated team of helpers who allow this to happen, and members of this team are available during the afternoon to answer questions or help in any way they can.  We would love to see you if you call in during this time.

Community Groups

Many local organisations use our buildings, and these groups enhance our parish.

Uniformed organisations at the Remembrance Sunday service
Social Walking Group

Health walks continue on the first and third Saturdays every month.

We start from St Paul’s at 10am with registration before.

The walks will be at St Paul’s until the end of February.

Then we move to St Mary’s from March to end of May followed by St John’s in June and July unless there are weddings that coincide.

We’re usually away home by 12.30 at the latest. Well behaved dogs are welcomed.

Please contact Chris Conway on 01924 480261 for further details.

Scouts and Guides

8th Mirfield Scouts Chris Blakeley

01924 490315

8th Mirfield Cub Pack Chris Wilding

01924 499112

8th Mirfield Beaver Scouts Amanda McCabe 07815 775548

2nd Mirfield Guides Wendy Banks

01924 506844

2nd Mirfield Brownies Tracey Riley

01924 491301

2nd Mirfield Rainbows Wendy Banks

01924 506844

3rd Mirfield Rainbows Wendy Banks

01924 506844

14th Mirfield Brownies Tracey Riley

01924 491301

Wellness Gardening at St. Mary's
Friendship Café

The friendship café is open in the meeting room in the St. Mary’s Community Centre on Saturdays from 10am to 4pm.  It developed from the Warm Space initiative in response to the increase in the cost of living and in particular the cost of energy for heating homes and cooking.  This is a very popular time, all are welcome to come and chat, knit or just sit with refreshments and a lunch provided free of charge.  We are very generously supported by our local Mirfield CO-OP in this venture for which we are very grateful.  You are very welcome to join us as a guest or to become involved in the running of this worthwhile provision.

Pantomime Group

There has been a Pantomime connected with St. Mary’s church since 1944 so 2024 Is a celebration of the 75th year since it started, and it has gone to strength to strength over the years.  In addition to actors, singers and dancers the Pantomime group is always looking for people to help with the many other activities such as costumes, set production, lighting, sound, and front of house support.  We would love to hear from you if you are interested in any of these vital Pantomime roles.

 

Pantomimes are usually put on in February at the St. Mary’s Community Centre so come along and enjoy.